Seun Awotunde counsels domestic and international clients on regulatory and compliance matters related to food and drug packaging, medical devices, food additives and ingredients, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. She advises clients with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submissions, including food contact notifications (FCNs) and Drug Master Files (DMFs). She assists companies in obtaining food contact clearances for their products in Canada, Asia, South America, as well as the European Union (EU). She also has experience with premarket notifications for medical devices (510(k) notices) and investigational new drug applications (NDAs).
Seun regularly drafts legal opinions for clients evaluating packaging components, including polymers, adhesives, printing inks, and color additives used in plastic, paper and paperboard, and coatings in various global jurisdictions. She also advises clients on establishing self-determined Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) positions in the United States and on regulatory requirements governing the use of recycled materials in food contact applications.
Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Seun was an associate for a law firm where she represented pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. Her background in science and experience working in healthcare is valuable in assisting clients with technical aspects of regulatory work and in understanding and interpreting the complex scientific matters as they relate to legal and regulatory requirements.
While in law school, Seun was an Executive Board Member for the Howard Law Journal, in addition to serving as a teaching assistant. She also completed an internship for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement and served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Reggie B. Walton on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Representative Matters
- Provided counsel and support in obtaining FCNs for food contact substances from FDA
- Prepared legal opinion letters and submissions to FDA establishing the capability of recycling processes to produce post-consumer recycled material that is suitable for use in food contact applications
- Analyzed various commercial agreements (e.g., NDA, vendor agreements, service agreements) to identify potential contractual risks and business opportunities
- Completed diligence reports for corporate clients
Memberships
- Food & Drug Law Institute (FDLI), 2025 New to FDA Law and Regulation Planning Committee
- Washington Bar Association (WBA)
Education
University of Maryland, B.S., 2018
Georgetown University, M.S., 2019
Howard University School of Law, J.D., 2022 cum laude
Bryson graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice and a minor in Business Administration. He then obtained a Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall School of Law in 2021.
Before joining GMKE, Bryson gained experience practicing at the Newton County Public Defender’s Office from 2021 through 2025. He joined Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex in June of 2025 as an associate attorney. He is licensed to practice law in the State & Superior Courts of Georgia.
Bryson resides in Atlanta and enjoys trying new restaurants and Muay Thai.
Educatinon
- Undergraduate: University of Tennessee
- Law School: John Marshall University
Bar Admissions
- Superior & State Courts of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
Memberships
Chika Ojukwu is an associate in Polsinelli’s Private Equity M&A Practice Group, where she advises clients on a range of transactional matters including mergers, acquisitions, and corporate governance. She has experience working with private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies across the healthcare, financial services, and technology sectors, supporting transactions from due diligence through closing.
Prior to joining Polsinelli, she was a corporate associate at a leading international law firm, where she worked on mergers, acquisitions, and public securities offerings.
She earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2021, where she served as a Staff Editor on the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. She received her B.A. in 2017 from the University of California, Riverside, graduating magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She is admitted to practice in New York and California.
Chika has been selected for inclusion in The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 List (2026) and speaks Igbo.
Elleasse Taylor is an associate in Best Best & Krieger LLP's (BBK) Municipal Law practice group. She represents a range of public and private clients throughout California and beyond on matters involving local, state, and federal laws, statutory compliance, civil disputes, and more. Elleasse’s versatile practice allows her to provide clients with a full suite of services covering everything from contracts, ethics, and accessibility to real estate, water, and informational technology.
Elleasse serves as deputy general counsel to the Chino Valley Fire District and the Arrowhead Lake Association. She also serves as legal counsel for the City of Ontario Community Life & Culture Department as well as the City of San Bernardino Planning Commission and Charter Review Committee. Elleasse also frequently engages with outside legal organizations as a member of the California Lawyers Association and Public Law Association.
Elleasse joined BBK as a summer associate in 2021 and then again as an associate after graduation. Prior to joining BBK, Elleasse served as an extern with the California Department of Justice Civil Rights Enforcement Division where she worked on workplace discrimination and harassment lawsuits. Throughout law school, she volunteered with the University of California, Irvine Law School Criminal Justice Clinic, where she drafted successful compassionate release motions on behalf of clients.
Outside of work, Elleasse enjoys baking and ranking horror movies.
Sydnei Jones is an associate in Weil’s Tax Department and is based in Washington, D.C. Sydnei participates in the representation of Firm clients with respect to the tax aspects of a wide range transactions, including matters involving domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, REITs, joint ventures, restructurings and financing transactions.
Sydnei has been a part of the teams advising:
- A major financial institution, as administrative agent and lead arranger, in a $1.25 billion senior unsecured revolving facility for Hasbro, Inc. and Hasbro SA
- CIBC Capital Markets, MUFG, RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities, as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters, in a $1.3 billion investment grade bond offering by The Williams Companies, Inc.
- Citi, Truist, Wells Fargo and another financial institution, as representatives of the underwriters, in a $2.1 billion offering of senior notes by The Williams Companies, Inc.
- The dealer managers in a $3.65 billion exchange offer by Microsoft Corporation of new 144A / RegS unsecured senior notes and cash for unsecured notes of Activision Blizzard
- Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley, as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters, in a $1.5 billion investment grade bond offering of The Williams Companies, Inc.
- Diversified Healthcare Trust, a real estate investment trust in a $941 million offering of zero coupon senior secured notes due 2026
- Hayfin Capital Management, as lender, in its senior secured term and revolving facility for Covis Finco S.À R.L. and Covis US Finco, LLC
- JPMorgan Chase, as administrative and collateral agent, lead arranger and joint bookrunner, in its upsized $2.75 billion senior secured term and revolving facility for Clarios Global LP (a subsidiary of Brookfield Business Partners)
- Lineage Logistics, LLC in its $208 million acquisition of Turvo Inc.
- Office Properties Income Trust in its $300 million 144A/Reg S offering of 9.000% senior secured notes due 2029
- Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in $820 million first and second lien facilities to finance its acquisition of Vantage Elevator Solutions
- OUTFRONT Media, Inc., representing the initial purchasers, in a $450 million senior secured 144A/Reg S senior secured notes offering
- Susquehanna Growth Equity in its acquisition of a minority stake in Sawhorse Media LLC (d/b/a Muck Rack Software LLC)
- Trebia Acquisition Corp., a SPAC sponsored by affiliates of Trasimene Capital Management and Bridgeport Partners, in $450 million senior secured revolving and term facilities to finance its $1.4 billion business combination with System1, LLC and Protected.net Group Limited (together with Trebia n/k/a System1)
- WEX Inc. in its repurchase of $310 million in principal amount of its convertible senior notes from WP Bronco Holdings, LLC and its $1.4 billion incremental senior secured term and revolving facility
- Willis North America Inc. (a subsidiary of Willis Towers Watson PLC) in its $750 million senior unsecured notes offering
Sydnei is also actively involved in the Firm's pro bono efforts, including work with the Innocence Project. Sydnei is also the D.C. Co-chair for the U.S. Branch of the International Fiscal Association's (IFA) Young IFA Network (YIN).
Prior to joining Weil, Sydnei was Tax Counsel at 3M.
Sydnei received her LL.M and a Certificate in International Tax, with distinction, from Georgetown University Law Center, her J.D. from The University of Iowa College of Law and her B.A. from Mount St. Mary's University.
Admissions
Education
- Mount St. Mary's University (B.A., 2016)
- The University of Iowa College of Law (J.D., 2020)
- Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., 2021)